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Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz, nicknamed "El Matador," is a double World Rally Champion and has taken the 3rd most wins of all time. Sierra Years 1987-1988 Sainz began rallying in a Ford Sierra Cosworth and in his first season he managed a 7th at the Tour De Corse and a 8th at the RAC rally. The next year, he got a career best finish of 5th at the Tour De Corse and the Sanremo Rally. The 2 World Championships In the 1990 season, he drove his Toyota to wins at the Acropolis, New Zealand and 1000 Lakes Rallies. This feat claimed him his first world title. 1991 however saw him lose his title by a whisker to team-mate Juha Kankkunen but still managed to claim 5 wins to his name. For 1992 he was desperate to regain the title. Going into the last round he led Kankkunen by 2 pts and Didier Auriol by 3 pts. His win at the RAC Rally, ahead of Kankkunen and Auriol's retirement, all added up to the 2nd championship. Years of Decline Sainz's 1993 championship with Lancia was a disaster. His years with Subaru were a bit better, allowing him to get a runner-up spot in 1995. He could have been world champion if he hadn't have fallen off a mountain bike. Second Chance 1998 saw him ride through the season and coming into the RAC rally, the championship was between him and Tommi Makinen. Makinen retired on day 1 after hitting a straw bale so Sainz came into the last stage, at Margam Park, he was all set to take a third world title. But then the most extraordinary thing in the history of Rallying happened. Sainz came into the finishing section and his engine blew just 600 metres from the win. Ford Fight Sainz joined Ford for 2000 and after winning the inaugral Cyprus Rally, came third in the championship. 2001 saw no wins for Sainz but many podium positions saw him finish 6th in the championship, 11 points behind Subaru's Richard Burns. 2002 saw him take a great win at the Rally Argentina after the disqualifiations of Burns and his team-mate Marcus Gronholm. Final Years A move to Citroen in 2003 saw Sainz take the first Rally of Turkey. He was in the title fight right until the end, where a crash on SS3 at the 2003 Wales GB saw his title hopes gone. He finished 4th in the championship with 1 win. That win saw him move into the history books as the driver with the most wins; 26 of them. He did 2 rallies in 2005 with a third and a 4th place. List of World Rally Championship Wins 1990 Acropolis Rally 1990 Rally of New Zealand 1990 1000 Lakes Rally 1990 RAC Rally 1991 Rallye Automobile de Monte Carlo 1991 Rallye de Portugal 1991 Tour de Corse 1991 Rally of New Zealand 1991 Rally Argentina 1992 Safari Rally Kenya 1992 Rally of New Zealand 1992 Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava 1992 RAC Rally 1994 Acropolis Rally 1995 Rallye Automobile de Monte Carlo 1995 Rallye de Portugal 1995 Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava 1996 Rally Indonesia 1997 Rally of Greece 1997 Rally Indonesia 1998 Rallye Automobile de Monte Carlo 1998 Rally of New Zealand 2000 Cyprus Rally 2002 Rally Argentina 2003 Rally of Turkey 2004 Rally Argentina Category:Drivers